Sunday - a long week ahead

Tomorrow - over at BoB - Chime goes up against Daughter of Smoke and Bone.    Now that the book I thought would go all the way has been kicked out, is it a little, um, self-pitying for me to pout and say I don't care which book wins?  YES!!  Yes, it is.  I do have an opinion about this match.

Chime was the second most difficult book in this year's Battle for me to get into.  (I still haven't finished Life.   I will. I promise.)  Briony's stream of consciousness, anxiety-ridden narrative is so confusing.  But I was so glad I persevered because none of her rambling is wasted.

On the other hand, I slipped into Daughter of Smoke and Bone like I was sinking into a fragrant long-awaited bath.  Ahhhh, what a lovely setting, ahhhh, what intriguing characters, ahhhh, blue hair.  Isn't this indulgent?  And then.... there was the battle-y part.

Very Short Digression:  I am getting really really REALLY tired of battle-y parts.

Back to BoB;  The battle-y part was followed by the heart-breaking romance part and the WHAT??!!! ending in Daughter.   That's a lot to pack into one book.

So, there you have it.  Hard to get into but satisfying Chime goes against seductive, action packed Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

I could toss a coin as one of our esteemed judges did.  I could use my Chobani Oracle Cup and pull out the name.  But this time, I think I will just predict that....  Oh, my, this is so hard.

I choose Chime over Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  I think it was the battle-y part that pushed me over the edge.  I suspect that excellent judge e. lockhart, will have a more intelligent take on this match.  And, as I say over and over, I will not be disappointed in either book moving on. 

StoryFUSION!!!  So much StoryFUSION prep work going on.  If you don't hear much from me this week, that is why.  Check the Storytelling page for updates and schedules and stuff.

OMG

Sometimes I start a book happily, but midway something crops up - a character that jars, or an event that feels off-kilter, or a change of mood - that disappoints me.  This year I decided to just put those books down.  I don't have time to read books that bother me.  There are too many books, so the t-shirt says, and increasingly, too little time.

Well, I am VERY happy that I did NOT put down Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.  Honestly, when the angel showed up I almost chucked it in.  This book has shown up on several "Best of 2011" lists and I felt duty-bound to as least skim through to the end.  So happy I did because OMG!!!

Taylor creates such an appealing teen character in Karou, and her family of misshapen beings is so loving that when that angel shows up, all angry and forbidding, the reader just knows he's wrong!!! Beautiful, yes!  Stunning, of course!  Sexy and irresistible?  That goes without saying - but very very wrong.

The book's setting is Prague, the IT city for 2011, I think.  The plot revolves around a centuries-old battle between magical peoples.  The protagonist, a teen art student, is so much more than just a teen.  Her "family" appears to be made up of genetic experiments or demons.  Her guardian's business is collecting teeth, animal and human.  When the sexy tortured angel shows up, all the questions about her past and her strange life are answered.  OR are they??  The story is to be continued.  And, sigh, as much as I hate to admit it, I have been drawn into this maelstrom of paranormal adventure and romance and I WILL want to find out what happens next.  Thanks, Laini Taylor, for adding yet another series to my ever growing list of  Books-I-Want-To-Read!